Luggage identification tag



H. SMITH LUGGAGE IDENTIFI June 12, 1951 CATION TAG Filed April 3, 1946 FIG., I

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1 All INVENTORI- HERBERT SMITH I BY 7 ATTORNEY Patented June 12 1951 UNITED STATES LUGGAGE IDENTIFICATION TAG Herbert Smith, Miami, Fla.

Application April 3, 1946, Serial No. 659,351

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to tags and especially identification tags which may be applied or attached to luggage or baggage to indicate the owner and a permanent address; and also an address or destination for a specific trip. It contemplates improvements in labels and address tags in which the usual regularly printed or engraved card on paper is embodied in a permanent imperishable tag with a permanent address on one side and a space on the other side which will receive temporary addresses or the like which may be removed or replaced without impairing the integrity of the tag. It is adapted for ready attachment or removal from the article of luggage or baggage and at any time the matter indicating the address or destination of a specific trip may be removed or erased without interfering with the indication of the owner and permanent address.

The tag is neat, attractive and ornamental. To this end it may comprise two sheets of plastic or thermo-plasticpreferably transparentenclosing a printed card of the type usually called business cards or calling cards. Preferably there will be used layers of a suitable water-clear artificial resinous material with an acetate base such as cellulose acetate or base having like properties. The sheets of plastic may extend beyond the area of the card and may be molded or welded at their overhanging edges into a single block. To supply a surface for entering a removable or erasable temporary address or the like, at least a portion of one surface may be scarified or roughened so as to produce a mat surface to take pencil, ink or crayon marks.

While the tag may take various forms, in order to explain the invention one embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which Figure l is a plan view of one side of the tag; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the other side of the same; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section on an enlarged scale on the line 33 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but before the plastic sheets are welded together.

In carrying out the invention, a card ID may be used. On one side the card it may have printed or engraved in the usual way a legend H indicating the name and permanent address and usually the profession or business of the person to use the tag. If the usual card used by the person is not of proper size it may be out or trimmed to suitable size. On the back of the card may be Written, printed or typewritten some such legend as This trip shown at E2, and also if desired lines as shown at l3 to indicate the 2 place for an address. There may also be put on the back of the card the name, trade-mark or advertisement IA of the organization making or distributing the tag. Then the card may be placed between two sheets of any suitable plastic which may preferably be clear, transparent or translucent. One of these sheets l5 may be placed over the printed side H of the card I0 and the other sheet 56 may be placed over the side of the card It carrying the lines [3. The sheets I5 and it will be of greater area than the card Ill, which may be so placed as to leave a margin on all sides. These margins. may come almost into contact as shown in Fig. 4, and the Whole may then be placed in a press preferably having chromium-plated die surfaces, and there may be applied a pressure in excess of 20 pounds per square inch at least on the margins while it is heated to about 212 F. This treatment will cause the margins of the sheets to mold or weld into a homogeneous mass where they are not separated by the card as shown in Fig. 3. The card it will thus be protected from soiling, cracking or deterioration and the matter on it will be readily legible through the layers I5 and it of the plastic.

Preferably the exposed side of sheet E6 or at least that portion of it overlying the lines l3 will be slightly roughened or scarified as indicated at 20 (Figs. 2-4 inclusive). This will leave the underlying matter on the card still legible but will provide a surface on which may be written an address or the like which may be removed after use by any suitable means, such as an eraser or a damp cloth, for instance. The tag is then in condition to be reused and receive on the sheet it a new address. or the like. Preferably after the sheets l5 and it have been molded together a grommet ll of metal or plastic may be put through the tag near the margin of the card or of the tag. Through the grommet I? may be passed a chain, cord or other means for attaching the tag to a piece of luggage.

It will be noted that the card It] cannot be destroyed or displaced or separated from the tag. There is thus provided a permanent, neat, sure, attractive and personalized means for identifying baggage.

I claim as my invention:

An identification tag for luggage and the like comprising a card carrying on one side a name and permanent address and on the other side incomplete information and lined spaces, a transparent sheet of plastic material on the permanent address side, a transparent sheet of plastic 3 on the other side having a scarified surface disposed over at least the lined surfaces thereof which is adapted to receive temporary information completing that contained on said other side of the card, the plastic sheets being larger than the card and being fused together about their borders to provide a rigid structure, and a grommet passing through the sheets and card.

HERBERT SMITH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number 4 UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Roberts Mar. 26, 1895 Weaver Mar. 13, 1906 Carroll Sept. 15, 1908 Goodsell et a1. Aug. 26, 1913 Swett Aug. 9, 1921 Meyers July 4, 1922 Chatfield Mar. 29, 1938 

